8 December to 9 December 2018The international student symposium Cankar and Us in the frame of the World Festival of Ivan Cankar, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language and supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Belgrade, at Faculty of Philology in Belgrade, Serbiaprogramme

5 December to 6 December 2018A screening of Amir Muratović's film Cankar and presentation of the collection of translations of contemporary Slovene literature at the Ivan Franko National University of Lvov (Slav Philology Department in cooperation with Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language). A literary evening with Blaž Božič, Veronika Dintinjana and Gašper Malej, supported by the Slovenian Book Agency and Centre for Slovenian Literature at “Ye” Bookshop in Lviv, Ukraineprogramme

15 October 2018The bilingual literary evening with poets Maja Vidmar, Alja Adam and Kaja Deržan, organised by the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language and supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Madrid, at La Expositiva in Granada, Spainprogramme

14 December 2016Slavic motives in Slovene literature, a workshop by Staša Pavlović, organised by lectureship in Ghent and Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language, supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Brussels at Ghent University in Ghent, Belgiumprogramme

6 December 2016A talk with writer and director Igor Pison moderated by Polona Libešar and Neira Merčep at the symposium L’est nell’ovest, in the framework of World Festival of Slovene Culture, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language at Frinzi Library in Verona, Italyprogramme

6 December to 16 December 2016Living Legends, a multimedia exhibition by Matjaž Tančič and Marko Kumer - Murč in the framework of the World Festival of Slovene Culture, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language and the School of European Languages and Cultures, at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Chinaprogramme

6 December 2016Living Legends and Beyond: A Taste of 3D Photography, a talk with Matjaž Tančič in the framework of the World Festival of Slovene Culture, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, the School of European Languages and Cultures and Time Capsule Bookstore, at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Chinaprogramme

28 November to 29 November 2016An international conference on the Slovenian language, literature and culture in the framework of the World Festival of Slovene Culture, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, at Lemonosov Moscow State University – Faculty of Philology in Moscow, Russiaprogramme

18 November 2016C'era una volta la Jugoslavia, a literary talk on Marko Sosič's Tito, amore mio by Polona Liberšar in the framework of World Festival of Slovene Culture, organised in cooperation with the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, at Biblioteca Civica in Bassano del Grappa, Italyprogramme

6 December 2014Documentary film Toporišič and some feature-film screeings in the framework of the World Days of the Slovenian Language, organised by the Slovenian language department in Lviv, Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, at Ivan Frank University in Lviv, Ukraine

27 November to 18 December 2014Literary evenings with Jani Oswald, Barbara Pogačnik, Vienna literary walks, and fairy tales with Milena Blažić within the World Days of the Slovenian Language, organised by the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, at Institut für Slawistik, Universität Wien in Vienna, Austriaprogramme

6 November to 27 November 2014One Hundred Years of Slovenian Studies at the Charles University, an exhibition, the unveiling of a plague in memory of philologist Matija Murko, and a symposium featuring a number of Slovene academics and professionals, organised in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Prague and supported by the Scientific Research Centre (ZRC SAZU), Slovene Academy of Science and Arts, the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language, and the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad, at Faculty of Arts - Charles University, Institute of Slavonic Studies of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Sporck Palace in Prague, Czech Republicprogramme

25 November to 28 November 2012A literary tour of Ukraine with Lucija Stepančič, Miha Mazzini, Goran Vojnović, organised by Čar Association and Študentska založba Publishing House in cooperation with Slovenian lectorships at the Lviv and Kyiv Universities, supported by the Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language and the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Kyiv at Parlament Library, “Ye” Bookshop in Kyiv, Lviv, Ukraineprogramme

27 March to 28 March 2012Literary Translation Evening with Olivia Hellewell and Nejc Gazvoda and the UK premiere of Gazvoda's film A Trip, co-organised by Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language at Hallward Library Screening Room (University of Nottingham) in Nottingham, United Kingdomprogramme

The Centre for Slovene as a Second and Foreign Language came into existence in 1965 and nowadays operates in the framework of the Department of Slovenian Studies at the University of Ljubljana. Its chief aim is to promote knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Slovenian language, literature and culture on an international level. In addition to a bevy of scientific publications as well as conference and seminar proceedings, the centre also publishes textbooks for foreign learners of Slovenian. In 2014 the Pocket Slovene, a bilingual language phrase book, was prepared in 22 languages.

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Activities

The centre coordinates a number of projects, namely Slovenian language courses, seminars on Slovenian language, literature and culture, the annual symposium "Obdobja", scientific conferences, publishing scientific publications, the Slonline.si website for distance learning of Slovenian, and many more. The centre is also authorised to organise examinations and issue official certificates of knowledge of the Slovenian language.

The symposium "Obdobja" joins domestic and foreign linguists, literary theoreticians and historians as well as social sciences professionals and scientists. The discussions and presentations have had a common interest in, yet varying approaches to, a number of topics, such as Slovene dialects, or contemporary Slovene literature.

The Seminar of Slovene Language, Literature and Culture aims to deliver the latest in Slovenian language and culture; its participants hail from many countries and backgrounds from around the world, yet share a professional interest in the language. The seminar is comprised of lectures, conversation classes, language courses, and other activities that foster the understanding of the language and deepen cultural awareness.

World Festival of Slovene Documentary Films

In 2012 the Centre organised a significant project: 9 Slovene documentary films that tackled themes like architecture, painting, lingustics, rap music, jounalism, sports and ethnology, were translated into 21 different languages by 39 teachers of Slovene and their 260 students around the world, RTV Slovenia added subtitles in foreign languages to films, provided DVDs, and the films were shown at more than 50 foreign universities where Slovene is taught or studied with accompanying cultural events coorganised by Slovene embassies.

World Days of Slovene Culture

The World Days of Slovene Culture took place at Slovene lectureships at foreign universities 3–9 December 2016. See the brochure link below.

Scholarships

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in cooperation with the National Education Institute (Zavod RS za šolstvo), the Centre for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes and the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad provides scholarships covering tuition fees for members of Slovene ethnic minorities in other countries and descendants of Slovene expatriates and emigrants. Applicants must be 35 years old or younger. Traditionally, these were the only scholarships offered for the study of Slovenian language at the Centre of Slovene.

In 2011 the centre established the Jana Zemljarič Miklavčič Scholarship Trust, which awards grants to individuals who do not have a Slovene background to further encourage their work in promoting Slovene culture worldwide.

Slovene at foreign universities

The centre also offers support to Slovene lectureships at 60 universities around the world, 22 of which offer students the ability to attain a degree in Slovenian and further their studies at the postgraduate level (see the link to the list of contacts below). This is done through new textbooks, proceedings, and other assorted learning materials, mostly provided by the Centre. More than 2000 students study Slovenian at various levels at foreign universities. The focus is on language teaching, although teachers also incorporate other areas, such as Slovene literature and culture, help their students writing seminars and degree papers. Throughout the year teachers organise various cultural events, some also with guests from Slovenia.